Google has no plans to compete directly with Amazon; wants to become retailers’ ‘best tech friend’

Google’s (GOOG) $17 million BufferBox acquisition last month raised the possibility that it was eyeing a chance to compete with Amazon (AMZN) on the e-commerce front. But Sameer Samat, vice president of Google Shopping, told AllThingsD this week that his company doesn’t have plans of “being a retailer right now.” Samat says the BufferBox buyout was to “provide a level playing field for retailers” against Amazon, or as AllThingsD puts it, Google wants to become a “retailer’s best tech friend.” Samat says Google is working to bring new features such as 360-degree product views to Google Shopping to help consumers get a better sense of what an item looks like. It’s important to note that Samat says that becoming a retailer is not the right move “right now,” which leaves Google open to becoming one further down the road.